The present invention is directed to a connector device having a receptacle part or member which has an axially extending bore having a diameter for receiving optical fibers and enlarged portions for receiving cladded fibers with a concentric outer surface and a sleeve movable onto the outer surface to cause the receptacle part to be urged radially inward onto the optical fiber to hold them in a connected manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,022 discloses a connector device having clamping and centering of two optical fibers to be coupled utilizing a connector part which receives the optical fiber positioned between rods and has two outer sleeve members urged onto the part to urge the rods into gripping engagement with the optical fibers. As a result of the slip-on of the sleeves, the radial pressing of the device causes the optical fibers to be axially aligned and gripped between the round rods. However, the joint region in the assembled condition is not completely covered by the sleeves, and this potentially provides a disadvantage when coupling optical fibers having different cross sections or, respectively, unround or non-cylindrical cross sections. Moreover, the connector means fashioned in this way can hardly be stressed under tension, since the cladded or jacketed region of each of the light waveguides is not adequately gripped or clamped by the connector.